Culture shock
José Castela Forte
Netherlands and chill Adventures of a Portuguese in Groningen Sun, beaches and surfing. That’s what Portugal means for most foreigners. As a Portuguese, I must be a sun-lover, spend my entire holiday lying on a beach towel, waiting for the next big wave. I think I’ve made my point. In the Netherlands, there’s none of that. For that reason, some would say we southern Europeans tend to be more “chill” (a word I found is oddly deeply enrooted into the Dutch vocabulary) and carefree.
Hell, I’ve heard Dutch people say you know you’ve arrived in Portugal when you see people moving slowly. So, okay, perhaps the pace in the Netherlands is a bit faster, and expecting to be warmly greeted everywhere we go might not be that reasonable an expectation. This doesn’t mean the people of this land aren’t friendly, atop their almost two-meters-high body, looking down at us shorter guys; in fact, just the other day, trapped under deep-dark clouds with rain pouring from the sky as if from a hose, some random guy stopped his car and handed me an umbrella. “Wow, that’s new.” Nonetheless, all these small differences are easy to overcome: wear or carry a raincoat if you see clouds (they won’t fade away before dumping gallons of water over you), get up at 6.30 instead of 8.30, and don’t be surprised, much less insulted, if the morning greeting is a “let’s get to work” instead of coffee and cake for half an hour. The one issue I have to say comes more like a shock is the matter of how seriously your every word is taken. You could say it’s the mere result of less “chill-ness” (again, the use of the word “chill” in the middle of a Dutch sentence drives me nuts), or of the less playful way they conduct interpersonal relationships. One year of university experience was enough to prove that theory wrong: the Dutch can be just as relaxed as we are, and, I have to admit, even more likely to hug us at a party or to be simultaneously involved in ten associations with thousands of people than any of us. What is it then? My guess: the language. The threeheaded beast we all are warned about for being harder to learn than finding a Dutch girl who doesn’t outdrink you in beer is also the greatest barrier I’ve found between the Dutch and myself. Things are phrased in such an over-elaborate way that, even though the Dutch pride themselves on being straight-to-the-point people, a less tactful, spur of the moment comment about this or that can and probably will earn you a spiteful gaze. So, pack your bags thoughtfully, buy an alarm clock, and learn to enjoy beer to get the best out of living in the Netherlands, but, above all, choose your words wisely!
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